Recollections

Acrylic on folded canvas -12″ x 30″

While pulling together this full abuse artwork series, I found myself re-examining not only the artwork, but reflecting on what I felt when I was creating the art. I recall the ugly feelings quite well and I went through a lot while trying to deal with the decades old damage cause by the abuse. I felt the need to create a new painting to pay homage to those feelings, which I thankfully no longer feel.

“Recollections” began as a painting I had done in 2007 but which never felt right to me.  So it seemed appropriate to use that painting as the starting point. It morphed into an ugly painting to reflect the ugly (but necessary) feelings I was paying tribute to. The folds in the canvas now symbolize how those feelings seemed to eventually turn back in on themselves.

By allowing myself to experience the horrible feelings I had so long repressed, I was eventually able to release those feelings and reclaim myself, just as I reclaimed this painting that originally wasn’t right either. Something that was amiss was transformed into something that had a greater purpose and made a greater statement.

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